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Car-free living in Houston


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from Citizen's Transportation Coalition e-letter

My Houston 2040 panel:

car-free living in Houston May 12 With gas over $4/gallon again, some are starting to reconsider their commutes. But one group of Houstonians is relatively unaffected: those who get around without cars.

On Thursday, our monthly My Houston 2040 happy hour will include a panel discussion featuring an array of Houstonians who are happily living car-free in Houston. We hope to see you there!

What: My Houston 2040 - Panel discussion on car-free living

When: Thursday, May 12, 2011; networking from 5:00 pm, panel from 5:30 pm

Where: Rudyard's British Pub, 2010 Waugh Dr., Houston, TX 77006 (map)

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You've got to start somewhere, sometime.

I know a small city (Bellevue, Washington) that is trying to achieve a car-free residential/business downtown. Today it has a very good sidewalk/pedestrian zone system, a pretty good bus system (though for some reason it lacks a circulator), a ton of high-rise housing, and corporate offices to go with it, and it's getting ready to plow a tunnel beneath its main streets to connect to the neighboring city's light rail.

It's not perfect, but it's progress. But I was recently surprised to learn that the process started over 30 YEARS AGO back in 1980 with the establishment of a single pedestrian/retail zone anchored by an express bus terminal linking it to a bunch of nearby towns. It's only really starting to bear fruit now. So a Houston 2040 Plan probably won't mean a real car-free existence until 2100.

God I hope we're not still driving cars in 2100. And where's my meal-in-a-pill? And my robot maid?

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God I hope we're not still driving cars in 2100. And where's my meal-in-a-pill? And my robot maid?

There will still be plenty of cars around in 2100. You just can't get the kind of freedom of movement from public transport that you can from a personal vehicle. Hopefully they will be powered by something other than fossil fuels, but there will still be demand for them.

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There will still be plenty of cars around in 2100. You just can't get the kind of freedom of movement from public transport that you can from a personal vehicle. Hopefully they will be powered by something other than fossil fuels, but there will still be demand for them.

Personal vehicles preceded cars and will be around after cars are gone. ;)

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Personal vehicles preceded cars and will be around after cars are gone. ;)

You mean like bicycles? Yeah, those will be around but so will cars. We won't be using bicycles to haul the family and bulky stuff around third world nation style. Or at least I hope not.

11+Impossibly+Loaded+Bicycles+2.jpg

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You mean like bicycles? Yeah, those will be around but so will cars. We won't be using bicycles to haul the family and bulky stuff around third world nation style. Or at least I hope not.

11+Impossibly+Loaded+Bicycles+2.jpg

Actually, that's a tricycle above.

I believe he was referring to horses and small carriages.

Wouldn't want to even imagine what the smell was like before cars.

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Actually, that's a tricycle above.

I believe he was referring to horses and small carriages.

Wouldn't want to even imagine what the smell was like before cars.

Lol...imagine taking an nice evening stroll through the neighborhood in a world after cars. Watch where you step!:lol:

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You mean like bicycles? Yeah, those will be around but so will cars. We won't be using bicycles to haul the family and bulky stuff around third world nation style. Or at least I hope not.

Since the bulkiest thing 95% of Houston trucks and SUV ever haul is their owner's fat butts and a venti Frappuccino, I think the bicycles are in order.

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additional info

My Houston 2040 happy hour May 12Air Alliance Houston, CTC, and Houston Tomorrow agree that we can build a better Houston today by thinking about the Houston we want in 2040.

This event is free and open to the public. Food and drinks are available at the bar. Open discussion is encouraged, as is sticking around to talk afterward! And if you can't make it this time, please mark your calendar to join us on second Thursdays.

What: My Houston 2040 - A new happy hour meeting of the minds

co-hosted by Air Alliance Houston, Houston Tomorrow, and CTC

When: Thursday, May 12, 2011 - networking from 5:00 pm, speakers at 5:30 pm

Where: Rudyard's upstairs, 2010 Waugh Dr, Houston, 77006 (map)

P1030643_bike_transport_144.jpgPanel discussion: car-free living in Houston This month, our event will feature a facilitated panel discussion among a diverse array of Houstonians who have chosen to live car-free in Houston. We'll talk about why they do it, how they do it, and how they'd like to see Houston change to make it easier. Our panel includes:

  • James Llamas, a university student;
  • Jennifer Fox Bennet, an engineering professional; and
  • Dave Lippert, whose family of 3 has been car-free since 2007.

To wrap up the discussion, we'll hear what these individuals hope Houston will be like by 2040.

jessica_lockrem_144.jpgOur panel discussion will be facilitated by Jessica Lockrem, a PhD student in anthropology at Rice University. Jessica is in the early stages of a research project in Houston where she is looking at how different modes of transportation affect an individual's experiences and perceptions of the neighborhoods and street spaces of Houston. Next year, she will begin fieldwork in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam where she will research sensory and emotional experiences of urban public spaces for recent rural-to-urban migrants.

Jessica has lived without a car for the past ten years and enjoys inspiring others to walk, bike, and use public transit because of the social, health, and financial benefits of getting out of the car.

About the Citizens' Transportation Coalition (CTC)

CTC is an all-volunteer transportation advocacy organization. We envision transportation solutions that improve quality of life. We are committed to engaging Houstonians in the planning of transportation projects that affect our neighborhoods. CTC is a 501©(3) nonprofit and memberships and contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

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